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Every Democratic Candidate Left In the Race — And Their Key Issues

Four candidates are in the running for the 2020 presidential race.

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Published on January 14, 2020 @ 10:46AM

Democratic Candidates — Photo: ROBYN BECK/Getty Images

UPDATE: Michael Bloomberg has reportedly suspended his presidential campaign, sources told Axios and CBS. The report comes after the former mayor's poor performance on Super Tuesday — his only victory was in the territory of American Samoa.

UPDATE: Amy Klobuchar has reportedly dropped out of the presidential race on Mar. 2, according to AP. Earlier in the day it was reported that she had to cancel a campaign rally amid protests.The Senator has not confirmed the news at this time.

UPDATE: Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race on Mar. 1. He said in a speech about his exit that "We must recognize that at this point in the race the best way to keep faith with" the campaign's goals was to "step aside and help bring our country and party together."

Tom Steyer also suspended his campaign on Feb. 29, telling supporters, "I said if I didn't see a path to winning, that I'd suspend my campaign. And honestly, I can't see a path where I can win the presidency."

UPDATE: Andrew Yang dropped out of the presidential race on Feb. 11. According to the Washington Post, the decision came after a poor outcome at the New Hampshire primary.

“I am a numbers guy,” Yang said. “In most of these [upcoming] states, I’m not going to be at a threshold where I get delegates, which makes sticking around not necessarily helpful or productive in terms of furthering the goals of this campaign."

Yang has not decided whether or not he will endorse a candidate, though the Post reports that campaigns have reached out to him. He added that he's open to the idea of becoming a running mate for a current candidate and joining a presidential Cabinet.

"If I become persuaded that there's a particular candidate that gives us a superior chance of beating Donald Trump, and I think it's important to make that opinion known, then I would consider it for sure,” Yang said.

UPDATE: On Jan. 31, John Delaney announced that he is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race after launching his campaign nearly three years ago. He said in a statement to Washington Post that he doesn’t want to take support away from other moderate candidates.

With Senator Cory Booker and Marianne Williamson announcing that they'd be exiting the primary race, the list of Democratic candidates running for president has just gotten a little shorter.

However, with 12 candidates still in the running, the race is wide open ahead of the first Democratic debate of the year, and of course, the upcoming primaries.

Read on for a refresher on every Democratic candidate in the running, and their key issues.

Michael Bennet

Age: 55

Current/Former Role: Colorado Senator since 2009

Key Issues: Bennet’s platform focuses on education, vowing to commit to “delivering a quality education for every American” and pledging to ensure equal access to high-quality education by 2028.

Dropped out: Feb. 11

Joe Biden

Age: 77

Current/Former Role: Former Vice President, former six-term senator from Delaware

Key Issues: According to Biden, his vision is to assert America’s role as a global leader, and to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act. He’s also spoken about rebuilding the middle class and protecting the right to vote.

Number of Delegates So Far: 53

Michael Bloomberg

Age: 77

Current Role: Billionaire media executive and philanthropist, former New York City mayor

Key Issues: Bloomberg has spoken out about gun control and addressed climate change as top priorities. A key part of his campaign is the idea of defeating Donald Trump.

Pete Buttigieg

Age: 37

Current/Former Role: Former mayor of South Bend, Ind., former intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve

Key Issues: Buttigieg’s campaign has said they are pushing for generational change, and calls for a new era in American politics. He has called for creating more seats on the Supreme Court, and supports the implementation of a Green New Deal.

Number of Delegates So Far: 26

Dropped out: Mar 1.

John Delaney

Age: 55

Current/Former Role: Former U.S. Representative for Maryland

Key Issues: Delaney has focused on uniting “our divided nation,” and he has pledged to "do only bipartisan proposals” in his first 100 days in office.

Dropped out: Jan. 31

Tulsi Gabbard

Age: 38

Current/Former Role: Congresswoman representing Hawaii’s Second district

Key Issues: The first female combat veteran to run for president, Gabbard’s platform aims to end wars abroad and ensure peacebuilding.

Amy Klobuchar

Age: 59

Current/Former Role: Senator from Minnesota since 2007

Key Issues: Klobuchar has unveiled a plan for her first 100 days that includes getting the U.S. back on the International Climate Agreement, protecting voting rights, and raising the minimum wage for federal contractors. She has also championed legislation to fight the opioid crisis.

Number of Delegates So Far: 7

Dropped out: Mar. 2

Deval Patrick

Age: 63

Current/Former Role: Former governor of Massachusetts

Key Issues: Patrick has vowed to invest in public schools, grow the economy, and provide high-quality healthcare by expanding a public option within the Affordable Care Act. He has also pledged to reform immigration by overhauling (but not abolishing) ICE.

Dropped out: Feb. 12

Bernie Sanders

Age: 78

Current/Former Role: Senator from Vermont

Key Issues: A self-described democratic socialist, Sanders has emphasized Medicare for all, a $15 minimum wage, and tuition-free public college. He has also advocated for the Green New Deal, as well as expanding social security.

Number of Delegates So Far: 60

Tom Steyer

Age: 62

Current/Former Role: Billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist

Key Issues: Steyer’s platform is focused primarily on addressing climate change, breaking corporations’ influence on the government, and expanding access to the ballot box.

Dropped out: Feb. 29

Elizabeth Warren

Age: 70

Current/Former Role: Senator from Massachusetts since 2013

Key Issues: The candidate who famously “has a plan for that,” Warren has prioritized tackling corruption in Washington, canceling student loan debt, and creating a wealth tax.

Number of Delegates So Far: 8